DMV Purim Guide 2026 / 5786

Sunday, February 22nd

• 1:00 p.m. — Purim Gift Bag Packing Party with Jews United for Justice
  • Hosted at Adat Shalom
  • “As part of our JUFJ Purim celebrations in Maryland, we will be packing mishloach manot gift bags to deliver to statewide and local elected officials.”
• 2:00 p.m. — Purim Gift Bag Packing Party with Jews United for Justice
  • Hosted at Tikvat Israel
  • “As part of our JUFJ Purim celebrations in Maryland, we will be packing mishloach manot gift bags to deliver to statewide and local elected officials.”

Friday, February 27th

• 6:00 p.m. — Shabbat Purim: Purim in Oz with Washington Hebrew Congregation
  • “We’ll be heading over the rainbow for a Shabbat Purim more powerful than a Kansas twister”
  • Services will also be available on a livestream
• 6:30 p.m. — Battle of the Hamantashen Filling Shabbat with Moishe House Adams Morgan
  • “Adar is here, and with it inarguably one of the best Jewish holiday foods. Come for a Shabbat dinner, but also come prepared to defend your favorite hamantashen filling.”
• 6:30 p.m. — Purim Shabbat: Noticing the Invisible with Am Kolel
  • “This Purim Shabbat, we invite you to join us in Noticing the Invisible. Together, we’ll reflect on the people, stories, and sacred work in our communities that often go unseen.”

Saturday, February 28th

• 8:00 p.m. — Purim & Ayyám-i-Há Masquerade Ball! with Abrahamic House
  • “Please join the Abrahamic House Fellows and community for a masquerade ball to celebrate Purim and Ayyám-i-Há! For both of these holidays, we give generously to those in need, share meals with friends, and celebrate with our communities.”
• 8:30 p.m. — Purim Singles Bash with Luv with Lev
  • “On Purim, celebration isn’t optional—it’s required. So we’re throwing a casual Purim singles party where the only agenda is fun, festivity, and letting sparks happen naturally.”

Sunday, March 1st

• 9:00 a.m. — Purim Family Shpiel and Carnival with Temple Emanuel
  • “Enjoy exciting games, festive crafts, delicious treats, and fun-filled activities for everyone. Come in costume!”
• 9:30 a.m. — Low Sensory Carnival with Adas Israel Congregation and Adas Israel Religious School
  • “You can expect carnival games, mitzvah opportunities, music, bouncy houses, and much more. Costumes are highly encouraged.”
• 10:00 a.m. — Purim Carnival with Adas Israel Congregation and Adas Israel Religious School
  • “You can expect carnival games, mitzvah opportunities, music, bouncy houses, and much more. Costumes are highly encouraged.”
• 10:00 a.m. — Purim Carnival with Tifereth Israel Congregation
  • “Join us as we celebrate Purim with a good old-fashioned carnival! Games, entertainment, an inflatable obstacle course, prizes, and all kinds of delicious treats! Costumes are encouraged!”
• 10:30 a.m. — Family Friendly Purim Shpiel with Temple Rodef Shalom
  • “The fun begins with the family-friendly Purim Shpiel by our clergy and staff in the Sanctuary. What could this year’s theme be?”
• 11:30 a.m. — Family Friendly Purim Carnival with Temple Rodef Shalom
  • “Following the Shpiel, delight in the carnival with games, moon bounces, face painting, prizes, and food!”
• 4:30 p.m. — Carnival and Purim Celebration with Kol Ami
  • “Bring the whole family for a fun-filled kids’ carnival and enjoy our annual Purimspiel as we honor the courage of Queen Esther and the resilience of our people.”

Monday, March 2nd

• 6:00 p.m. — The FUNHOUSE Opens with Adas Israel Congregation
  • “All experiences live. Games, sensory maze, food, drinks, pop-up acts & surprises across the building”
• 6:30 p.m. — A Very Wicked Purim with Congregation Beth El
  • “Join us for a Wicked good time as we explore Purim’s biggest questions: Who’s truly the most popular? What happens when Esther meets King Ashki? Will the Jews dance through strife, or will Haman’s loathing steal the spotlight?”
• 6:30 p.m. — Let Them Eat Cake: A Purim Revolution with Sixth & I
  • “Experience royally offensive sketches, toast with cocktails and mocktails in our Garden of Versailles, enjoy cake and hamantaschen fit for a monarch, and party like it’s 1789 as you dance to live music from Sixth & I’s musicians.”
• 6:45 p.m. — Purim Megillah Reading with Congregation Olam Tikvah
  • “This year we celebrating an Olympic-style Purim! Put on your gold-medal costume to hear the Megillah, jump on to the winner’s block for a photo at the photo booth, and head to the youth corner for crafts or try an adult concoction made by our champion mixologists.”
• 6:45 p.m. — Purim Services & Megillah Readings with Tifereth Israel Congregation
  • “Join the congregation to hear Megillat Esther and enjoy shpiels and l’chayims!”
  • Virtual attendance available
• 7:00 p.m. — Megillah According to Monty Python with Temple Rodef Shalom
  • “Join the TRS Music Department, Music and Performing Arts Committee, and clergy teams as the TRS performers retell the story of Purim. Don’t forget your costume!”
• 7:00 p.m. — Megillah with Adas Israel Congregation
• 8:30 p.m. — Purimpalooza with Temple Rodef Shalom
  • “Join us for Purimpalooza – great food, great cocktails, and schmoozing with friends and friends-to-be. Don’t forget to wear your best costume! Please register for Purimpalooza to help us with food and beverage estimates.”
• 9:00 p.m. — After Party with Adas Israel Congregation
  • “Music, karaoke, fun grown-up beverages & late-night FUNHOUSE energy”

Tuesday, March 3rd

• 7:30 a.m. — Purim Services & Megillah Readings with Tifereth Israel Congregation
  • “Join the congregation to hear Megillat Esther and enjoy shpiels and l’chayims!”
  • Virtual attendance available
• 7:30 a.m. — Prayer and Megillah Reading with Adas Israel Congregation
  • “A special morning of minyan, relive the power of our Purim story”
• 8:30 a.m. — Purim Megillah Reading with Congregation Olam Tikvah
  • “Hear the Megillah again on Tuesday morning in the sanctuary from 8:30-10:00am!”
• 4:00 p.m. — Queen Esther’s Ball with the EDCJCC
  • “Get ready to celebrate! Join GLOE to channel your inner Queen Esther at this unforgettable night of drag performances, costumes, and community. Come dressed as your favorite Purim character, in drag, or as anything that makes you feel like royalty!”
• 6:30 p.m. — Jews of Color and their Families Purim Celebration with the EDCJCC
  • “Join other Jews of Color and their families to make hamantaschen and celebrate Purim. We’ll have crafts and a pizza dinner, and you and your family will get to make hamantaschen to take home, bake, and enjoy!”

District of Columbia

• Call Your Mother
  • Available in-store starting February 27th
  • Available for catering preorder on February 20th
• Baked by Yael
• Tatte
  • Available in-store beginning February 18th

Maryland

• Call Your Mother
  • Available in-store starting February 27th
  • Available for catering preorder on February 20th
• Moti’s Market
• Snider’s Super Food
• Sunflower Bakery
• Tatte
  • Available in-store beginning February 18th
• The Red Bandana Bakery
• Whipped Up Bakery

NoVA

• Call Your Mother
  • Available in-store starting February 27th
  • Available for catering preorder on February 20th
• Chutzpah Deli
• Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe
• Tatte
  • Available in-store beginning February 18th

• Buttery Hamantaschen by Tori Avey
• Cannoli Hamantaschen by Sheri Silver from The Nosher
• Cardamom Scented Hamantaschen with Pear and Goat Cheese Filling by Pessy Haskelevich from Jamie Geller
• Filling Options For Your Gluten-Free Hamantaschen from Something Nutritious
• Gluten-Free, Low Sugar Hamantaschen by Aly Miller from The Nosher
• Hamantaschen by Dawn Perry from Bon Appetit
• Hamantaschen by Rita Kantor and Marcia Saltz from Delish
• Hamantaschen Galette from Tasting Table
• Joan Nathan’s Chosen Hamantaschen by Joan Nathan
• Puran Poli Hamantaschen by Rachel Kruge from Jewish&
• Red Bean Hamantaschen by Tobie Meyer-Fong from Jewish&
• Savory and Spicy Vegan Hamantaschen by Healy Slakman from Jewish&
• Savory Caramelized Onion Hamantaschen from What Jew Wanna Eat
• Savory Vegan Goat Cheese and Tomato Hamantaschen from 86 Eats
• The Best Hamantaschen Recipe Ever by Shannon Sarna from The Nosher

• Fassoulyeh b’Chuderah by Adeena Sussman
• Ground Beef Purim Puffs from Jamie Geller
• Haman’s Fingers from the Los Angeles Times
• Haman’s Fingers from Jamie Geller
• How to Make Haman’s Fingers for Purim by Vered Guttman from The Nosher
• Minhag Purim Nunt from Kosher.com
• Pull-Apart Sweet Surprise Challah by Shannon Sarna from Jamie Geller
• Vegan Stuffed Cabbage for Purim by Linda LaRue

There are four mitzvot (good deeds or commandments of religious duty) commonly associated with Purim, and two of them involve some form of giving: Matanot L’evyonim (gifts given to those in need) and Mishloach Manot (gifts given to friends and community members).

Yad Yehuda of Greater Washington explains Matanot L’evyonim this way: “To fulfill the mitzvah of Matanot L’evyonim on Purim, one must give charity to at least two poor people. This mitzvah can be fulfilled by giving either food or the monetary equivalent of the amount of food that is eaten at a regular meal.”

Below, we have compiled a few local charities and organizations with specific Matanot L’evyonim and Mishloach Manot campaigns or events. If you are interested in other ways to give back in the DMV, you could also check out our guide to Volunteering in the DMV!

• Bikur Cholim of Greater Washington
• Congregation Olam Tikvah
• Kesher Israel Congregation
• Sunflower Bakery
• Tifereth Israel Congregation
• Yad Yehuda of Greater Washington

• The Four Mitzvot of Purim by Rabbi Becca Walker from Exploring Judaism
• The Story of Purim by Rabbi Robert Goodman at My Jewish Learning
• Joyous Purim: Simple Actions for LGBTQ+ Belonging by Jay Smith from Keshet
• Must-Know Purim Words and Phrases from My Jewish Learning
• Purim at Home from My Jewish Learning
• Purim 101 from My Jewish Learning
• Why Do Jews Send Mishloach Manot on Purim? by Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld at My Jewish Learning

• What Queen Esther Taught Me by Talia Makowsky at Keshet
• Purim + The Emotional Life Cycle of a Disaster by Rabbi Ilana Zietman
• How and Why Do We Party on Purim? by Rabbi Ilana Zietman
• For this Moment: a Purim Message by Rabbi Amalia Mark

• The Completely Correct and Only Guide to the Right Hamantaschen for your Zodiac Sign from Keshet
• ‘Home for Purim’ Is the Queer Purim Movie I Wish Were Real by Rosa Escandón at Hey Alma
• Drag Performers Turn Purim Into A Queer Joy Extravaganza by Lindsay Eanet at Hey Alma
• How to (Respectfully) Dress Like Queen Esther by Evelyn Frick at Hey Alma
• 9 Very Specific Purim Parties You Could Throw Together This Week by Vanessa Pamela Friedman at Hey Alma
• This Year The Purim Story Hits Uncomfortably Close to Home by Kate Hennessey at Hey Alma
• Triangle Foods for Purim That Aren’t Hamantaschen by Sara Lebow at Hey Alma
• Watch the Best Purim Movie That’s Not a Purim Movie by B.C. Wallin at Hey Alma
• Adding Some Shenanigans to your Purim from Exploring Judaism